


White Day

by FlOrangey



Category: Persona 5
Genre: But not obvious enough to tag, Fluff, Gen, Gift Giving, Implied Akira/Makoto, White Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-18 18:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14858364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlOrangey/pseuds/FlOrangey
Summary: With his year-long probation almost over, Akira Kurusu goes out to give his friends gifts on White Day.





	White Day

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains a minute reference to a work I posted a year ago, however, you don't need to read it to understand or enjoy this one.
> 
> Happy reading :)

**  
**

**March 14th, 2017  
** **White Day  
**

Akira readjusted his bag as the train stopped and he stepped off. It was heavier than usual, no doubt because of all the things he stuffed into it that morning. He was positive his shoulder was going to hurt by the end of the day, however, it would be worth it. He had been making preparations for over a week and had to meet with everyone. Thankfully,  the school was closed for a last minute teacher assembly, so he had a few extra hours to spare.

He pulled out his phone and checked his texts. Ryuji told me he was going to be going for a run at Inokashira Park and that was his first destination. He put his phone away and climbed the stairs out of the station.

* * *

  **Morning**

Ryuji was doing some stretches when Akira entered the park. Judging by the empty water bottle and the sweat covering his friend's clothes, he had just finished his run. Akira walked over, and Ryuji friend waved to him and got to his feet. He had a grin on his face, but also looked surprised to see him. “Well look who it is. Thought you wanted to take the day off.”

“Said I wanted to skip running. Didn’t mean I wasn’t going to stop by,” Akira said.

“Well, you picked a good time to show up. I was thinking of grabbing some ramen.” He thought for a second, “Hey, how about we go to our signature shop? It’s another ride on the train, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Tempting, but I’m already meeting Yusuke for lunch later.” He said, “I just wanted to stop by because well…” He winced as he moved his shoulder again. Carrying his bag around was starting to hurt. Ryuji noticed the look on his face.

“Dude, you alright?” He asked, “Did you stuff bricks in your bag or something? If you wanted to do some weight training you should have just gone to the gym.”

“Very funny. I have a few things to take care of today. Some stuff to give out.” He said, then decided he needed a brief break. “Can we sit down somewhere?”

“Yeah sure.” Ryuji and he took a seat on a bench. Akira pulled the bag off his shoulder and put it down. The relief was welcoming and he stretched, his shoulder popping loud enough that it made Ryuji wince. “Ouch.”

“It feels way better than it sounds, trust me.” Akira groaned. He then leaned over and unzipped the bag. Ryuji got a glimpse, inside were several packages of varying sizes. He could not help but notice they were all wrapped in brown paper. “Now where...ah there it is.” He pulled one out and Ryuji noticed it had a tag that had his name on it.

“What’s that?”

“A gift. You know what day today is right?”

It took a second for Ryuji to answer. All he had cared about was the fact there was no school. He checked his phone, “Tuesday.”

Akira’s shoulders dropped. “Yeah. And?”

“March 14th.”

"What else?" Silence followed and Akira rolled his eyes, " “Ryuji. It’s White Day.”

He got a blank look from his friend, but after a few seconds it clicked and Ryuji's eyes widened. “Oh right. I didn’t think about it because I didn’t get chocolate on Valentine’s Day.” He then sighed, “Man, did you have to remind me that Mishima of all people got chocolate and I didn’t?”

“Sorry to remind you of that horror.” Akira said, a light laugh in his voice that died down, “But maybe this will make you feel better?”

He pushed the package closer to Ryuji, who took it and stared at it for a long while. A frown crossed his face as flipped the object over, then on its side. It was thin and rectangular. He looked at Akira. “Uh, no offense man, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how White Day works.”

“Yeah, well you know me. Your regular ol’ rebel against society and rules.” He chuckled, “You gonna open it or what?”

Ryuji flipped it back over and broke the tape. He tore the paper off and his eyes widened. “Shit, seriously?” He held it up. It was a DVD of his current favorite anime, “Man I’ve been talking about this series for weeks!”

“Exactly why I got it for you. Get you to shut up about how you sound like the hero in it.” Ryuji smacked him in the arm and the two laughed. Akira then stretched out his neck and let his hands rest in his lap. “It’s been quite a year hasn’t it.”

“No kidding. The last month’s gone by so fast. To think school ends in three days.”

Akira nodded. It had. A little to fast as far as he was concerned. He had gotten out of Juvie in time to enjoy Valentine’s Day, and now it was a month later. “Yeah, the school year is almost over. So is my time here.”

“Oh, right,” Ryuji said. “Doesn’t feel right you know. I mean yeah it’s only been a year, but it feels like you’ve been with me for longer. Not having you around for our third year doesn't seem right, you know?”

Silence. Akira pushed his glasses back up, “Yeah. I mean, I miss mom, but, it's gonna feel weird being back in the countryside."

“Yeah, nothing out there but trees to keep you company.” Ryuji said, “You gotta come back for Golden Week. And summer. That’s a requirement. And you know none of us are gonna take ‘no’ for an answer. We’ll drag you back to Tokyo ourselves, even if we have to drive out there to get you.”

Akira looked at him, and smiled, “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.” He looked back out at the park and checked the time. “Oh, I gotta get going. Have more people to meet.”

“Alright.” Ryuji stood up with him, “Hey before you head out, we gotta marathon this show.”

“Uh, well-”

“Seriously man. You’ll love it. Come on!”

Akira watched his friend’s face light up. “Alright, sure.” He wasn’t sure it would actually happen, but the idea sounded nice. “We can make plans later.”

“Sounds good.”

Akira zipped up his bag and pulled it over his shoulder. He winced and tried to ignore the feeling of the strap digging into his shoulder. “See ya at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, later man.”

Akira took off back to the train station and Ryuji looked at the DVD set. He popped the plastic off and opened the case. He then closed it and looked up and shook his head. "Damn this thing must have been expensive."

* * *

**Daytime**

“Alright, everyone take five.”

Akira was sitting on a bench in Harajuku, waiting for Ann to finish up her shoot. He looked up from his phone when he heard the director call for the break and watched as Ann stumbled out of her pose and shook her arms out. The photoshoot was for an upcoming spring fashion line and Akira had to admit, Ann carried the color green fairly well. Of course, it was Ann, she was able to make herself look good in anything with a little modification.

He put his phone in his pocket and moved over a bit as his friend came over. “Finally. I was beginning to think my arms were going to fall off.” She said.

“Busy day?”

“Yeah. I was only supposed to have one shoot today, but since I have the day off, boss wants to take advantage of the extra time to get a few more done. This is actually my third." She grinned, “I don't mind though. It means more money for me and more chances to up my presence on the model scene.”

Akira nodded. He could tell from how light Ann spoke that she was having a good time.

“So what was so important you needed to know where I was?” She asked. Akira reached into the bag and pulled out her package.

“I wanted to give you this. Happy White Day.”

Ann stared at him, surprised, but then happily took the gift. "Didn't see this coming. But thanks. Can I open it now?”

"Yeah go ahead."

She tore off the wrapping paper and her eyes widened when she saw it was a makeup kit. Not just any ordinary one, she recognized the brand right away and the text was in English. "Oh wow! This is..." she looked up at him, "This brand isn't even in Japan anymore. How’d you get it?”

“I asked Haru,” Akira said, his face turning red. “She helped me order it and pulled some strings to get it here in time. I paid the shipping."

"Must have been a lot. International shopping is really expensive." Ann said, "This looks so beautiful. I kinda wanna peel off my face and try it on. What do you think?"

“I think that would be painful.”

Ann laughed a bit at Akira's response. “I don't mean it literally." She told him. "I'll have to give it a try tomorrow. I don't think the artist they brought is open to me changing my look. And after these shoots are done I need to go hit the gym..”

“You’re still going?”

“Course I am! Just like I said, I’m going to become a top model and I have to keep in shape.” She grinned, “Heck I’m down from eight crepes a week to only five. So I know I’m doing something right.”

“Y-yeah sure.” _How_ Ann could eat one crepe a day and still look as slim as she was Akira did not know and was almost afraid to ask. “You think you can get down to one a week?”

Ann thought about it for a second, “That might be tricky. Honestly I think I’ll be lucky to get down to three.” She said, “I did tell my parents about my decision. They were surprised, but also happy I’ve become more serious about the family business. There actually going to be coming back to Japan for work in a few weeks. Dad even said if I wanted to, he could teach me some photography stuff.” She paused, “I was thinking of taking him up on the offer.”

“Really.”

“Yeah. I don't talk about this a lot, but models have a pretty short shelf life. Even when I reach the top, I won't be there long." She explained, “But I like working with the cameras and want to stay in the business. I figure maybe I should start learning the behind the scenes stuff, like how to work the lights and cameras.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“I hope so, I’ve been thinking pretty hard about it!”

Akira kept his gaze on Ann’s grin and found himself smiling. She was still as cheery as ever. “Oh yeah, I got this from Shiho.” She pulled out her phone and brought up a picture. Akira looked over, to see the familiar face that he did not get a chance to know better with a smile on her face. There was a volleyball tucked under her arms. “She was helping out at her new school. She told me she’s feeling like she can start playing volleyball again.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, it is.” Ann said, “It always amazes me how strong she is. She still has some trouble now and again, but things are so much better than they were even a few months ago.”

“She’s strong because she has you.”

“Honestly I think it’s the other way around.”

“Maybe it’s mutual?” Akira suggested. Ann contemplated it then nodded.

“Yeah probably.” She said, then looked up when she heard shouting from the director. The man motioned for her to come back for her next shoot. Break time was over. “Welp, that’s my cue to get back to work.”

“Alright.”

“You gonna stick around or-”

“I need to get going.” He checked the time, “I promised Yusuke I’d meet up with him for lunch.”

* * *

**Lunchtime**

The serious look on Yusuke’s face made Akira wonder what his friend could be thinking about. There were only two times Yusuke looked as serious when he did and they were when he was thinking about art, or when he was thinking about food. Today, it was food.

“So let me see if I understand this correctly.” The other man started, “For a somewhat higher yet fixed price than the average place, we will be permitted to enter this facility and eat any amount of food we desire, until we are full, puke, or pass out.”

“Yes. That is the idea behind a buffet.” Akira said, then added, “Not the eating until you throw up or pass out part. Please don’t do that.”

Yusuke contemplated Akira’s words, scrutinizing them. Then his eyes lit up, “Absolutely brilliant! I do not know who it was who came up with this concept but he is forever in my debt. Why did I not know such a haven existed before? Come, let us enter and eat our fill.”

Akira let out a weak laugh and hoped ‘our fill’ did not end in Yusuke slipping into a food coma. He paid for the both of them, because of course Yusuke did not have enough money to pay for himself and the two were seated at a small table. They then ordered their drinks and Yusuke watched the server leave. He turned to Akira, perplexed.

“It appears they forgot our menus.”

“There's no menus. We go up and get the food ourselves.” Akira said. He put his bag on the spare chair and got up. “Come on I’ll show you.”

To his relief, once Yusuke had a plate in hand and saw the food laid out and being brought out, the whole event fell into place. However, he found himself more than a little concerned when his friend tried to balance three plates at once and took one so the young artist did not accidentally drop anything. He had an uneasy feeling that if they broke any plates it would be on their bill.

“The last time I ate at a buffet, Ann and Ryuji threw a bunch of beans on my plate,” Akira said as he stuffed a bit of steak in his mouth. Yusuke swallowed his large meal, mostly consisting of various fish and vegetables, as well as a healthy dose of chocolate cake.

“Do you like beans Akira?”

“Nah can’t stand them.” He said. He looked over the sushi Yusuke had grabbed. “Can I have some yellowtail?”

“Absolutely. I’ll just grab more to appease my appetite.” Akira took a piece off Yusuke’s plate and put it on his. “By the way, I had an idea for a new piece. I’d like for you to hear about it.”

“What is it?”

“It’s hard to explain,” of course it was, all of Yusuke’s pieces were so abstract they were hard to describe, “I want to focus on the idea of breaking away from the troubles of life. Something like how I put together ‘desire and hope’ but not quite the same. I feel as though this piece would have a lot of red in it, and perhaps quite a bit of white as well.”

“Really.”

“I can see it in my mind. Red lines like bars against a white backdrop, like it’s floating in the aether.”

“Bars like a prison?” Akira asked. Yusuke pondered the question and snapped his finger.

“That’s brilliant.” He paused, “But, having prison bars sounds more like it's about imprisonment than freedom. I...might need to think harder about this." He frowned, "I’ll need to go to the art store and get some more supplies. But I’m low on money.”

Akira smiled and reached into the bag. "Maybe this will help?" He slid the package over to his friend, who took it and examined it with a curious eye. He ripped it open and a smile formed on his face as he saw the set of acrylic paints he was now holding. The size of the tubes was smaller than he liked, but it would hold him over for awhile. 

“This is very kind of you." He said, turning his attention back to his friend, "May I ask what the occasion is? It’s not often I receive art supplies from someone besides my teachers.”

“It’s White Day and I thought I’d get everyone something nice,” Akira said with a shrug.

“Unorthodox, but it’s much appreciated.” He paused, then frowned, “It’s strange, but I feel like I should be giving you something in return. Today is a day of gift exchange is it not?”

“You don't have to do that.” Akira said, “Honestly Yusuke, you give me an adventure every time I hang out with you and that’s more than enough. Remember when we went to church?”

He chuckled, “I suppose my pursuits of art could be seen as an adventure.” He paused, “I do admit, while I’m glad it and the villain that spurned its existence are gone, I do miss our visits to Mementos. I found the landscape and implications of it quite stimulating.”

Akira’s hand twitched at Yusuke’s word choice, “...I’m glad you did.”

“In truth perhaps I should be the one thanking you. Were it not for you, Ann, and Ryuji’s actions, it’s quite likely I would still be in the grasp of Madarame. Or somewhere worse.” He glanced out the window, then back to Akira, “You leave very soon yes?”

Akira nodded and he watched as a frown formed on Yusuke’s face. Then the man snapped his fingers and smiled, “I’ll put my piece on hold for the time being. I feel it’s important you have something to take home with you.”

“You don’t have to-”

“I insist.” He said, “Something personal you can hang up on your wall, so you can remember that even though your several hours away. you still have us with you.”

Akira decided not to try and talk Yusuke out of it. The very thought made him smile, “I’d like that, thank you.”

* * *

**Afternoon**

  
“Did Ann like the makeup set?”

Akira nodded as he sipped the tea Haru had made him. Reacher her place was easy, convincing the guards outside her home that he was indeed her friend until Haru herself came down to explain that yes he was welcome, was less easy. “She wanted to rip off her face immediately.”

Haru almost spilled the tea she was pouring and it took a second to regain her balance. There was a light tone in her voice as though she was trying hard not to laugh. “T-that’s good. I think.” She put the kettle down and took a seat next to Akira. She covered her mouth and some soft giggles could be heard as she tried to recompose herself. “I have to admit, I didn’t think it would get into the country as quick as it did. The text you sent last night was a relief.”

“I wasn’t worried.” Akira shrugged. “I’m just glad you were able to help. You’ve been busy.”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to hang out as much by the way. The restructuring of Okumura Foods has taken a lot of my time.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Akira said putting the cup down. “This is really good. You made this by hand right?”

“Yes. Though I admit it's not quite how I wanted it to come out.” She lifted her own cup and took a sip, “I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t taste the way I thought it would. The color was also lighter than in the pictures I saw, so I wonder if maybe I didn’t roast it for long enough.”

“Honestly tastes fine to me.” Akira said, “Maybe let Boss try it? He'd be able to tell you more than I would.”

She giggled, “Maybe. Perhaps I’m just being too hard on myself. Hearing about my grandfather’s coffee shop more really wants me to push more to open my cafe.” She said, “I was thinking of asking Boss if I could help in the cafe. College doesn’t start until the fall for me, so when I’m not in company meetings I’m going to have the spare time.”

Akira shrugged, “Ask him.”

“I think I will. I’m sure he’ll need the help after you leave.”

“And with one sentence I have been replaced.”

“Oh that’s not true and you know it.” Haru said, “No one could replace you and your coffee.”

“We’ll see about that,” Akira said, a grin on his face. “Oh, before I forget. I got you something too.”

He handed Haru one of the last packages in his bag, being careful with it. Haru stared at it and knew right away it was some type of bowl. She pulled the paper off and grinned as she saw it. “It’s so grotesque. You got this from the horror shop that just opened in the mall.”

“The one you’ve been wanting to check out.” Akira said, “I saw that and immediately thought of you. And it looked less sketchy than trying to squeeze a large plastic axe covered in fake blood on the train.”

Haru giggled, “I can imagine that’d get you in a tight spot.” Her smile was sweet as she looked at him, “You know me so well, most wouldn’t think I’d like something so eldritch. I should get you something to take back home.”

“You don’t-”

“I insist. It wouldn’t be right for me to receive a gift on White Day without giving you anything in return.” She thought for a moment and got up, “Oh I have an idea. Give me one second.”

Akira watched as Haru left the room before picking up his coffee and finishing it. He played with his phone as he waited and put it away when he heard Haru coming back downstairs. “Here,” He got to his feet and stared at the small bag Haru was holding. “These are the coffee beans I used to make that coffee. If you like it, you should try making some yourself. I left the instructions in the bag.”

He smiled and took the bag. “Thanks. I’ll let you know how it turns out.”

“Please do. I’d like to keep exchanging notes and figuring out how to make the best coffee I can.” She smiled, “And don’t forget you can call at any time just for a casual chat too, you know.”

Akira nodded. “Yeah, good luck with college.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

**Late Afternoon**

  
When Futaba received her present at Leblanc, she screamed in excitement. “This...is...the greatest thing. EVER.”

Akira grunted in pain as Futaba wrapped him in a huge hug. He looked at Sojiro, pleading for help. The older man simply shook his head, a grin on his face. “Careful Futaba, you don’t wanna break him before he leaves.”

“But if I break him that means he gets to stay, right?”

“It doesn't work like that.”

A brief look of disappointment crossed Futaba’s face, but then she let go of Akira and smiled. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. Classic Featherman pink is the greatest figure ever.” Her eyes widened, “I gotta tell Kana.”

She jumped into one of the booths and opened her laptop. Sojiro opened his mouth to remind her she was not supposed to go on the computer until evening but stopped himself when he saw her type up the message and then close her laptop. She then looked at the figure, a huge grin on her face. 

“You wanna open it?” He asked. Futaba glared at him and hugged the box in a death grip.

“Absolutely not! This is a collector's item, taking it out of the box is gonna cut its value in half.”

“If you say so.” Sojiro said. “Man it’s gonna be quiet when you head out of here. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss you.”

“You thought you wouldn’t?” Akira asked, a smile on his face. Sojiro grunted and tossed a towel at the teenager, who caught it.

“Go clean the dishes.” He said then paused, “Actually don’t, Futaba, you do the dishes.”

The young girl’s eyes bugged out. “What?! Why?”

“Because I’m going to need someone to help with the cafe when he’s gone. I’m not getting any younger and you said you wanted to do more.”

“Yeah. By do more I wanted to make the curry, not clean the dishes.” She protested. Sojiro gave her a look that made her sigh, “Alright alright. But after will you show me how to make mom’s curry? Please? I wanna be able to make some before the epilogue.”

“No idea what that means, but alright. Get done and I’ll show you how to put it together.”

Futaba nodded and grabbed the rag. She almost tripped when she climbed out of the booth and hurried over to the sink. The water began running and Akira moved himself over to the table, taking a seat across from where Sojiro was cleaning. “I just remembered, Haru said she was interested in helping out here too.”

“Really now,” Sojiro said. He chuckled, “Well I’m not surprised, she really got bit by the coffee bug. How’s her work coming along?”

“Still wants to open a cafe after college.”

“With her work ethic, she could definitely pull it off.” He considered it, “Let her know I’d be willing to work something out with her. Having both her and Futaba around will certainly be interesting.”

“And Yusuke.”

“He’s a regular at this point,” Sojiro muttered. “So, how’s the packing going?”

“So far, good. Can’t believe I’m taking more stuff home than I had when I got here.”

“It’s not that surprising.” Futaba said, turning to them, “With how many times we went to Akihabara for that crane game I’m surprised you don’t have more.”

“Hey, I said I’d play until I got Jack Frost and I got him.”

“You also have a chocolate fountain that you never filled.”

“After Morgana got into it can you blame me?” His question got a laugh from both Sojiro and Futaba.

“Yeah that was funny the first time, but I get the feeling it wouldn’t be funny after the fourth,” Futaba said. She put the dish she was drying down and turned to him. “You know, you don’t need to pack everything, you’re still coming back for Golden Week right?”

“That’s the plan?”

“And summer?”

“Yeah.”

Futaba fidgeted a bit before asking, “So...why not just pack up your clothes and a few essentials and leave the other things here?”

There was a silence. Akira frowned as he thought over Futaba’s words, before coming up with the only answer he could think of. “Because it’s Sojiro’s _attic_.”

“No, it's your room.”

Akira looked at the man, seeing his face was serious. “Far as I’m concerned that’s what it is now. I admit it’s not the best place, it could use some more cleaning up, but far as I’m concerned that’s your room more than anything else.” Futaba nodded in agreement. “You don’t need to pack everything away, especially if you’re going to come back to visit.”

Akira looked down at the counter, “Well...there was something I was thinking about doing, but I’m not sure if it’ll happen.” He said, “You sure it’s okay for me to keep some of my stuff here?”

“Best colleges are in the city and it’s cheaper to be a day student than live in the dorms.” Sojiro’s statement was more than a suggestion, it was a hint at what he should be doing. He should leave some of his things at Leblanc because he was more than welcome back.

“The Risette poster still comes with me.”

“Seriously?” Futaba asked, “I’ve been eyeing that poster for months.”

“Sorry, Futaba.”

The girl grumbled and went back to the dishes. Akira smiled as she watched her get back to work, and turned his attention to Sojiro who was pouring himself another cup of coffee. He got back to his feet, “Speaking of packing, I should get some stuff out of the way. Gonna have company tonight.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Your makeup exams are tomorrow.” Sojiro said. Futaba turned back around.

“Gotta study date with a ninja biker.” She muttered. “When is Makoto coming over anyway?”

“Soon.” He said, checking the time. She’d be over within the next hour. He put his phone away and excused himself to finish putting away his things.

* * *

**Early Evening**

  
Akira let out a long sigh as he closed his book. They were studying up in his room, and the light dust was beginning to bother him. “My head hurts.”

“I think it’s time for a break then.” He looked up when Makoto spoke, and nodded in agreement. She was sitting next to him and he stretched his neck and leaned back in his seat.

“Do I really need to know all of this? I mean, okay yeah I do, but did we really cover this much stuff in school?”

"If Ann's notes say anything, yes," Makoto said. Akira groaned and his head drooped. "I guess it is a lot to take in. Especially since you missed a month and a half of school"

"And another month before that."

"Yes. True." Makoto nodded, "I have to admit, I’m actually surprised they’re even allowing you to take this makeup exam. Ushimaru-sensei was quite insistent that you just repeat the year. It’s a good thing Kawakami-sensei was able to appeal to the new principal.”

“Good thing too. The last thing I need is to have to take four years of high school instead of three. That’d be embarrassing.” He said, “But I’m sure my fabulous grades helped her case.”

“Well being in the top five of your grade does provide some benefit.”

“And I have you to thank for that.” He looked up to see a slight blush cross Makoto's face. “Can you hold on a second? I need to get something.”

“Sure.” Makoto watched as Akira went over to one of the boxes lying on the far end of his room. He had spent a fair amount of time packing. She remembered when he joked about how he was taking more things back to his hometown than he brought with him and just looking at everything that had been put away she was starting to think there was truth to that statement. She looked at his shelf, then the top of his desk, then to the wall where their Phantom Thief flag used to be hung up.

It was almost amazing how empty the room seemed without all his personal things strung about. She even missed the Risette poster.

“Here it is.” Her attention shifted to Akira as he crossed the room and took a seat next to her. Her eyes fell on the decent sized pink bag he was holding, decorative paper sticking out from the top of it. “Happy White Day Makoto.”

Makoto stared at the package as he gently lay it on her lap. She pulled the top back to see something white and black. And fluffy. She reached in and pulled the item in question out and her eyes widened. She was holding a large and familiar stuffed panda. “This is…” She stammered as he realized she was holding a twelve-inch Buchimaru plushie. She then let out a loud squeak that made Akira bring a hand up to his ear and hugged the stuffed animal. “Buchi-kun! I haven't had one of these since I was a little girl. Thank you! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” He said. He knew Makoto would love the gift, but he had to admit he was not prepared to have his ears ringing from her excitement. She looked up at him.

“How did you find this? These toys have been out of production for years.”

“Internet.” Was his simple answer. Makoto shook her head.

“Internet. Of course.” She said. She looked down at the stuffed animal and hugged it tighter. “But I mean it. Thank you, I’ll treasure this for the rest of my life.”

Akira smiled. “I know.” He paused for a few seconds, “There’s something else. I want to tell you this, but don’t tell the others, because I don’t know yet if it’s going to happen.”

A frown crossed Makoto’s face. “What is it?”

“Well…” he started, then after a few seconds made his statement. “You still remember what happened in November, right?”

Makoto’s eyes were downcast, then she looked directly at him, “It’s hard to forget. Between my Sister’s Palace, rooting out Akechi, your interrogation...and you having…” she trailed off. They both knew what she wanted to say, but it had been a silent agreement not to talk about it unless they needed too, “Why are you bringing this up Akira?”

She saw his jaw clench like he was trying to find the right words. It took him a few more seconds until he spoke, “I’ve been thinking it over since I got out of juvie. I’m glad I can go home to see my mom, but I called her recently to see if I was set for the next school year and...she told me not much has changed.” He said, “Everyone still thinks of me as a criminal who assaulted someone. The school is only taking me back out of obligation. And I wouldn't be surprised if my former friend's still don't want anything to do with me.”

“Akira…”

“I feel like if things turn out as bad as I imagine they will, I’m going to fall into that place again. Maybe I’m just worrying over nothing, but...” He paused, taking a breath, “I feel like I need you guys in my life more than just a call each week. I need to go out running with Ryuji, shopping with Ann, to museums and churches with Yusuke. I need to be able to watch anime with Futaba, or make coffee with Sojiro, play Shogi with Hifumi. Help Haru water her plants. Talk with you face to face, without a screen in the way.

“I hate that Shujin treated me like dirt for my record, but having you guys around made this year far easier to deal with. In some ways, it was actually kind of fun. I didn’t think it would be, but it was.” He continued, “So, right now, we’re appealing to the school administration to see if I can stay at Shujin Academy.”

“Really?” She asked. “That’s great, but why keep it a secret?”

“Because we don’t know if it’ll go through. I went to Shujin because I was on probation, and now my probation is over, so there’s no reason for them to keep me.” He said, “But I want to stay. Because you’re all here. Sure you and Haru won’t be there next year, but Futaba will. And the city isn’t that big once you get used to it. It won’t be hard to visit you at college.”

Makoto smiled at him, “I hope you’re successful then. Life here wouldn’t be the same without you.” She told him, “It would be lonely.”

“Lonely huh.”

“Yes.” She said. She looked down the plush, “But I guess even if you aren’t here next year, I have something to keep me company.”

“I’m glad.”

“Just don't forget something," She said giving him a serious look, "We’ll always be with you, no matter how far away you are. I think after everything we’ve been through, something as simple as distance shouldn’t take us apart.” She looked him right in the eye, “Never hesitate to tell me if anything is wrong, okay? I’ll always get back to you. I promise.”

Hearing her words made him feel a bit more at ease. “Thank you Makoto.” He said. She leaned a little closer and at the prompt he reached out and pulled her into a strong hug. “Thank you.”

* * *

**Evening**

Akira locked the cafe door and sighed. It was almost time for bed, and he could not wait to get to sleep. “Sounds like you had a long day.” A voice got his attention and he turned around to see a familiar cat jumping onto one of the chairs.

“Where have you been?”

“Just going around. Figured I’d keep busy trying to figure out how to become human while you were out giving everyone gifts.” He said, “How’d it go?”

“Great.” He said.

“That’s good. Too bad you forgot someone…”

Akira gave his feline companion an amused look, “Your right. I totally forgot about Mishima.” Morgana grumbled and Akira laughed, “Relax. I haven’t forgotten. Give me a second.” He hurried over to the fridge, opened it, and pulled out a plastic container. He then grabbed a plate and dumped the contents of it. The scent hit Morgana’s nose, making his eyes widen and his tail stand on end. Akira placed the plate in front of him. “Happy White Day Morgana.”

“F-f-faaa…..” The cat meowed out as he stared at the sight in front of him. It was here. At long last, it was right in front of him ready to be eaten. “Fatty Tuna!”

Akira shook his head as Morgana jumped onto the table and began to consume the food in front of him. “Is it good?”

“Ish delishus!” The cat exclaimed. A smirk crossed Akira’s face as he looked at his phone. He had several messages in the group chat. He opened them to see what they were and smiled, then put his phone away and turned his attention to Morgana.

“Glad you like it.” He said.

Today was a good day.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, today is June 7th and this marks my one year anniversary writing for the Persona 5 fandom. Every since I first posted Under the Blood Soaked Mask, I've been amazed and overwhelmed by the support I've received from this fandom and good god I never imagined I'd be talking to the people I am today or working on the projects I'm now part of. It's been an amazing journey.
> 
> You all are amazing. Thank you so much, everyone, who reads this or has read and is reading my other work.
> 
> Thank you so much to Vivvav, Circuit, Nitsuga, and everyone else in the Crimson Compendium server. You are all wonderful people.
> 
> Thank you to the wonderful people who have been working on the TVTropes page for 'One Year on Probation'. Seeing the updates to it makes me smile. I still can't believe that fic has so many chapters uploaded (and more written and to be written. Egads)
> 
> I love you all, really do. Here's to another wonderful writing year!


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